What are some common blood disorders?

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Anemia, bleeding disorders and blood cancers are examples of common blood-related disorders, explains the American Society of Hematology. Hemophilia and blood clots are two bleeding disorders, and examples of blood cancers include leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma.

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Over 3 million people in the United States have anemia, and it is the most common blood disorder, according to the American Society of Hematology. The disorder occurs when there are not enough red blood cells in the body or when the blood cells function improperly, resulting in a lack of oxygen. This oxygen deficiency occurs because red blood cells carry the protein hemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to other bodily tissues. Patients with anemia exhibit symptoms including shortness of breath, headaches, a rapid or irregular heart rate, dizziness, and chest pain. Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common anemia subtype, with others including vitamin-deficiency anemia, aplastic anemia, sickle-cell anemia and hemolytic anemia.

Leukemia is a blood cancer that resides in both the blood and the bone marrow, which is where blood is synthesized, notes the Utah Department of Health. Myeloma is another type of blood cancer in which plasma cells form a cancerous tumor inside of the bone marrow. A third blood cancer type, lymphoma, occurs within the body's lymphatic system.